Armenia Says Protocols Will Fail If Not Ratified By March

YEREVAN (Hurriyet)–Time is running out for Ankara to ratify agreements signed in October to normalize relations between Armenia and Turkey, an assistant to the Armenian President warned on Friday during a press conference in Yerevan with visiting Turkish journalists, the Turkish Hurriyet daily reported.

Vigen Sarkisian said Armenia will withdraw from the process if progress does not occur by March. “In March, there will be a point of no return. January is the best timeframe. After that, every morning it will be more difficult to do this than the day before.”

“The whole world has supported these protocols and they should be approved at once,” Nalbandian was quoted by Hurriyet as saying. He expressed frustration that the deal has become embroiled with Turkish demands for Armenia to capitulate to a pro-Azerbaijani settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Armenia’s parliament has yet to ratify the protocols and, according to Hurriyet, officials in Yerevan said Friday they would do so only if the Turkish Parliament does so first.

During the course of the press conference, Nalbandian was asked whether Armenia would make a symbolic step on the Karabakh front to appease Turkey and move the ratification process forward. Nalbandian insisted that the Karabakh issue is an absolute non-starter for Armenia, adding that the Karabakh peace process and the Turkey-Armenia rapprochement are two distinct and “parallel,” issues that cannot be coupled.

“There can be no preconditions – in the protocols there are absolutely no preconditions,” Nalbandian said, adding that he was “saddened that three journalists have now asked the same question about Armenia taking a step on Nagorno-Karabakh.”

He said the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents have met repeatedly on the matter, and that is where any discussion of Nagorno-Karabakh must remain.

He said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the domestic politics of Turkey behind Erdogan’s declarations but said if the border-opening initiative dies, it will be the next generation of Turks and Armenians who will have to resolve their differences.

“Turkey and Armenia have been divided for nearly 100 years,” he said. “Let’s not live this for another 100 years.”

Related posts

Discussion Policy

Comments are welcomed and encouraged. Though you are fully responsible for the content you post, comments that include profanity, personal attacks or other inappropriate material will not be permitted. Asbarez reserves the right to block users who violate any of our posting standards and policies.

10 Comments

This is idiotic, why March 2009? It has already failed last March 2008. This dead-line is used to calm us, Armenians, down. It is absolutely no pressure on the Turks. Why don’t Serj say, “Turkey you have only until April 23 to ratify, otherwise Protocols will fail by some international rule from Switzerland (or somewhere there, near Istanbul… I don’t know what’s it called. Oh Yea, Zurich)”

Anyways, in my previous comment, I was trying to say, they sold Genocide Recognition issue to Turks last year. It seems it was good business, so they are advertising again for the next year. Note that by “They” I mean the Serj Sargsyan’s cronies.

Why is the Armenian current government so eager to have Turkish parliament approve the protocols which in essence are threat to national security of Armenia? Whose side is Serzh Sargsyan working for? Remember friends, Serzh Sargsyan is an imposter and the sooner we get rid of him and his gang the better off we are.

I remember the day this protocol was being signed
I said it cant be
We were in shock
We cannot agree on anything with the Turks.
The Ararat Mountains were very sacred to the Ancient Armenians.
The mountain gave them so much, like water and many other things
These Ararat Mountains are still sacred to each and every Armenian now.
The way they got these mountains was in a very underhanded way.
They could at least say here is your Ararat mountains we cannot keep them.

Do we always have to wage a war with these people and see death of our kids
What is wrong with these Turks.
When are they going to shape up
They don’t even belong here, their place is in Mongolia.

Mr. Sarksyan, the Armenian illegal President has lost his sacred pocket-billiard-game with the Rebublic of Turkey. Now, when talking with “warnings,” ifs, and specifically “sensible timing,” Mr. Sarksyan shall entirely lose the battle for Kkarabakh, too. The best thing for Mr. Sarksyan is to talk to Mr. Shahnazaryan and Mr. Demirjyan, the brilliant representatives of the Armenian nation. They know precisely, what to do in this truly difficult situation.jeshmarid@yahoo.com